*Maddy*There isn’t much to say about the grand dinner thrown in honor of the Alphas who’ve brought their warriors to slaughter. Dressed in finery, they grovele at the feet of the Alpha King, praising the strength of his royal army that now numbers in the tens of thousands. I sit in a gown of red silk that flows over the new curves several weeks of food have afforded. I eat the extravagant food and sip the expensive wine without tasting it, and once dinner is over, I allow Isaac to help me from my seat. The Alphas boweto their future queen, and I watch from the second floor balcony as Isaac and his subjects walk into a sitting room to talk more about the impending war over glasses of whiskey, the door shutting behind them. I remain on the balcony overlooking the grand foyer. I watch the silent guards by the door as they do their best to remain alert and awake. Other then Isaac, the only other royal family member to be at dinner tonight was Maddox. I’d been told by Hannah that the w
*Maddy*When I was a child, my father came home from one of his mysterious merchant trips with a large, fabric bound book. It was large enough to cover my entire lap, and so heavy I couldn’t lift it on my own. The cover was embroidered with whirls and swirls of silver and gold thread, the outer edges detailed with delicate symbols and lettering none of us could read. “It’s very old, Starling,” he’d said to me, laying the book carefully in my lap as I trembled with childlike excitement. “You must be extremely careful. You never know what kind of magic may be inside, and what gods we’ll upset if any pages are torn.” He’d said it in jest, of course. At least I thought so at the time. But he’d been right to be careful with the massive text. Inside were stories of a land lost to time, each page illustrated with great care and skill. Myths and legends of the old gods and goddesses and their trials, stories of their people, their subjects, their heroes and enemies. And their beasts. They
*Isaac*“You’ll burst through the seams if you keep moving like that,” Cassian says with a bite in his voice as he fastens my leathers–a vest and forearm guards–over my black shirt. Pins displaying my status as not only the Alpha King, but a warrior of the highest rank, are displayed over my heart. The outfit is what I’d wear if I were to meet with an enemy face to face. No royal jewels rest atop my head. No velvet cape lined with fur. No rings on my fingers. Just me in all preparedness to fight. “Your mom’s going to have a fit–”“She’s aware this is what I’m wearing,” I cut in gruffly, barely glancing at my reflection in the full length mirror in front of me as I reach down to take my jacket off a nearby chair. It’ll be the only wedding-like attire I’ll be wearing today, and it’s pitch black, just like my shirt and pants. I look more like a shadow than a groom, but so be it. This day doesn’t feel like anything to celebrate. I’m not the only one getting married in my fighting leath
*Maddy*I feel like a puppet as the temple attendants turn me this way and that way, the high priestess rambling off another long, blisteringly boring monologue. Isla stands beside me listening intently. Her eyes are sea glass in the golden light of the sunset now pouring through the temple windows. How long have we been here? Hours, at this point. I’d been swept away from the castle in the early hours of the morning and now the day is nearly over. The only day I had left with my now husband. I grind my teeth, waiting for this ceremony to be over. Apparentl,y it’s much more than Isla ever had to go through because it includes what the Priestess calls “the passing of the crown,” which hasn’t happened in decades. I glance at Isaac, who’s standing in wait on the other side of the room, flanked by Alphas from several territories. He’s watching the proceedings with interest, and a hint of sympathy. His mouth curves into a soft, almost smile, one meant just for me. Goddess, I just want
*Maddy*I didn’t mean to mark him. It was something inside me that overwhelmed all rational thought and momentarily blurred my ability to reason. Like some force had overpowered me completely and drove me to madness. I’m panting as he holds me against the tile wall, hot water streaming over us and mist lifting from the dark stone floor. I look down, trying to rein in my ragged breath and thundering heartbeat as I watch glitter swirl into the drain. “I’m sorry,” I whisper so softly I’m sure he can’t hear it over the spray of the water. But his mouth is trailing down my neck and over my shoulder, leaving hot kisses in his wake. I close my eyes, my heartbeat thumping madly in my ears. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I don’t know what happened. Isaac, I–”His hands grip my hips as he presses into me from behind, hard and fast. I yelp in surprise but the sound turns to a deep, cry of ecstasy that has my toes curling and head falling back. He holds me there, sheathed to the hilt, our bodies
*Isaac*Fogs wraps around the outer walls of the castle’s estate, my home, the home of my family, and now my wife. Despite early summer coming into full bloom, the air is chilled. Either that, or it’s just my skin prickling with icy heartbreak as I stand at the gate and look back at the front porch, where several women and children are standing, all of them dressed for bed in the early hours of the morning. Ben and Emery’s children rub their eyes and sniffle, swiping their tear stained cheeks against Trinity’s nightgown. I wonder about her and Rosie often. Trinity left Elijah, her mate and the Alpha of Moorn, behind over a week ago now to come here, seeking safety for herself and her daughter at his command. The grief of their separation has been written all over her face since she arrived at the castle under the guise of helping with wedding preparations. Does she wish she were there now, at the frontlines, with him? But she’s the Luna of that small territory, and Rosie is their o
*Maddy*Sunlight beats down on the back garden. It’s too beautiful a day. The sun is bright and warm, the sky totally cloudless, and every flower in Isla’s rose garden in bloom.Ella walks through the flowers, rubbing petals between her fingers. I watch her for several moments before I hear the clinking of glass behind me and turn my head to find Isla setting a tray of ice tea on one of the bistro tables. Her eyes are red and distant as she pours a glass for herself, drinking deeply. I haven’t seen her since the three of us left the sitting room. Ella took me outside to get some fresh air, leaving me alone with my thoughts while she walked alone with hers. And Isla had disappeared into the depths of the castle. “You were born here,” she says, looking down in her iced tea with a far off expression on her face. “In the very room you occupied until last night. I used to rock you to sleep. You were such a quiet baby. You barely ever made a sound. I wondered sometimes if you knew your mo
*Isaac*Four days earlier…Cassian crouches on the other side of the fire, balancing on his heels. His pen scribbles over the notepad resting on his knee. He pauses, cursing under his breath,and tears the page free before crumpling it and throwing it in the fire. “What the fuck am I even supposed to say?” he says to himself, growling low in his throat as he makes a single mark on the page before sinking into a seated position on the hard ground. Trees choked by moss, their branches long dead, surround us. Behind us, miles of open plains stretch all the way back to Moorn. It took us days to reach this place. Several dozen camps light up the edge of the forest. Wolves pass back and forth in groups of three or four, and small groups of warriors in their human forms gather around fires just like this one, eating, drinking, and resting. Or trying to put words down on paper to send back home. Phones don’t work this far from any settlement. “Just tell her you're alive,” I mumble, scrat
BrieThe castle glows like liquid gold from the light of what must be hundreds of tallow candles. The gathered crowd shuffles to find a spot to sit or stand in the wide, toppled ballroom of sorts. I’m not sure what it used to be, but only so many rooms are still fully enclosed. The weather in Emberfyll is mild. I imagine when the forest grows back, it’ll be borderline tropical. A feast of fish is laid out on makeshift tables or on long strips of fabric where people are seated on the floor, passing pewter plates down the line into hungry hands. Others break bread or pour tea and mead into mugs. I watch from the front of the room where I’m seated against a backdrop of the ocean and the clear, star filled sky. Maeve’s still asleep. She’s been sleeping all day, since the moment she arrived, but I imagine that won’t change for a while. I’m worried about her–have been checking on her all day while also juggling creating a plan of action with Logan and Seamus for when my father’s warriors
BrieI wake in the early hours of the morning to soft sunlight brushing over my cheeks. I’m sure I cried myself to sleep last night. I forgot where I was, but only briefly, reality rushing in, reminding me that I made it to Emberfyll alone. I roll in the furs, letting the warm, morning sunlight play over my face, but then I hear a commotion coming from outside. Yips and barks dance through the air. I rise, clutching the windowsill for support as I squint into the sun and see a dozen wolves racing through the flattened, charred space that used to be the front garden. Smoke rises in the forest from chimneys, the villagers waking for the day, but I can’t see past the trees and their thick summer canopies. The wolves are racing into the forest. I whirl to heavy footsteps running into the room I was given to use as my own last night. Seamus braces himself in the doorway, panting like he ran all the way here from the depths of the castle. I wait for him to tell me we’re under attack, or
Logan“BRIE!” I shout toward the trees. My voice carries through the night but doesn’t bounce back to me. It just keeps going, and going, and I’m at a complete loss as to where we are or where my mate could be. Maeve murmurs at my feet where she’s lying flat on her back. I woke up five, maybe ten minutes ago in so much pain I could barely breathe, let alone stand. Now, I’m stumbling from spindly tree to spindly tree, using them to steady myself as I scream my mate’s name into the night, but she doesn’t answer. Through the trees, I can just see the ocean, the storm raging in the distance. Lightning in shades of crimson and deep violet split the clouds as wind rushes toward the mainland. I can feel the electricity in the air, even from miles away. I can taste the thick, metallic stain of magic on my tongue. That storm… Maeve created it. It’s her powers drifting away from us, stirring up the sea. But Maeve is currently unable to even speak as it stands, and she’s cold to the touch whe
BrieI open my eyes as I’m falling through thin air. I don’t even have time to scream before my body drops into water. Deep, rough water that drags me under the second I suck in a salty breath. I flail against the waves, trying to find the surface, but the undercurrent drags me down again, pulling me by my dress and tossing me upside down. My head hits something hard, and I screech, but the sound is empty. I suck in water, choking, and realize quite suddenly that I’m drowning. I go as still as possible, using the last of my energy to start moving with the current instead of against it, which turns out to be the best idea I’ve ever had, especially under duress. I open my eyes underwater, staring down at the shallows. It’s sunny. Daytime. And below, seaweed waves between large, gray rocks. Pockets of sunshine dance through the water, illuminating seashells in shades I’ve never seen before. Another wave crashes over the top of me, sending me rolling into even shallower water, and fina
MaeveCole and Misty have a beautiful suburban home in Shadowcrest. It’s always the same–always smells like freshly baked cookies and the flowers she keeps in vases all over the house. Tonight, as my toes brush the ground, and my powers funnel back into my body, it smells like… popcorn. “You pig! You’re not going to eat all of that.” Josie’s voice, so similar to her mother’s, drifts down the hallway. I landed in the foyer, which is dark, soft moonlight drifting in through the windows and casting the stairs and framed photos of the family in silver shadows. “If you wanted more, you should have added it to the order,” Adrian argues then yelps after a smacking sound reverberates toward me in the gloom. “Give me one of your tacos–”“Or what?”“I’ll tell Mom.”“She’s in Eastonia, dumbass. Hey!” A scuffle ensures. I have two seconds to jump into the shadow of Misty’s study just off the foyer when Cole walks down the stairs, still wearing his hospital scrubs. The sound of a shower running
LoganRyatt and Evander walk out of sight across the bridge connecting the barracks to the main streets of the city. I look out of my old bedroom window at the sunny glare casting shadows over the valley. The shadows move as the clouds dart across the sky toward the castle, toward my wife, who I’d much rather be with right now than here. I… I don’t have anything to pack. Anything that meant anything to me–my laptop, my fucking glasses–were lost in the shipwreck. I have the clothes on my back, and even those were borrowed from who-knows-where, left on the dresser in Brie’s bedroom by the ghost that haunts her house. She’s all I have, and it’s not like I can pack her in my duffle bag and take her with me. I crank open the window to let in some fresh air to cut through the overwhelmingly male smell of the barracks. I turn to my empty duffle bag with a sigh, bracing my hands on either side of it on the bed, and hang my head, but a whoosh of air rushes out behind me, and I turn in time
BrieThe moment my bedroom door closes behind us, Logan’s mouth is on mine. The lock slides into place with a soft click, and an even softer groan leaves his mouth when I reach up to run my fingers through his damp curls. He smells like rain and leather. Like the promise of warmth and comfort through another stormy night. And now this man–this loud, obnoxious, opinionated man… he’s mine. He presses a kiss to the ring he bought today on a whim. It’s a simple band of gold–that’s it. “I'll give you a better one when I return,” he promises, kissing the palm of my hand before his lips find mine again. “A ring with a diamond the old gods can see from the heavens.”“I don’t care about that.” I giggle as his hands glide down my sides, pulling me close. Outside, thunder booms, the room lighting in ribbons of blue as lightning splits the clouds, but in here, it’s warm. It’s private. It’s just us. He removes my cloak. It falls to the ground in a heap at my feet. He’s careful with the dress,
MaeveBrie is… radiant. She glows in her simple white dress of lace and satin, her hair falling loose over her back and shoulders as Logan slowly, tenderly, lowers the hood of her dark blue cloak. The temple is quiet and dim, moonlight flooding the altar. Logan knits his fingers in Brie’s and brings her knuckles to his lips, pressing a kiss against them. They’re bathed in silver, the windows behind them dancing in starlight. It’s beautiful, really. It’s what I envisioned for her, one day, what I thought would be… years from now. I watch my sister–the person I love the most in all of the world–intertwine her soul with someone else, forcing myself to unravel the ribbons binding my heart to hers. She doesn’t belong to me anymore. Logan looks at her as they kneel before the priestess in her silver robes. They lean into each other like being inches away is too far apart. And the look on his face as he brushes his lips over her temple… he loves her. He’s devoted–body, and soul. My heart
Brie“Tonight?”“Yes, tonight.”“How?” I laugh, taking a step away from him. “We-we can’t.”“We can,” he says breathlessly, shaking his head. “The temple stays open all night. We’d just need to find a priestess.”“We’d need a witness,” I whisper as the cogs in my mind start turning. “I’d need a dress–”“I’d marry you like this,” he says, taking my hands. “But please, for the love of the Goddess, marry me before I go.”I blink up at Logan, my heart swelling and squeezing simultaneously. There’s still a whisper in my mind that warns me that he could change his mind, that he can’t really want me, but I… banish it, giving myself to him fully. “Are you sure?” I ask, scanning his eyes. “I’ve never been more sure of anything. I want you to be my wife, Brie.”“I’m already your mate.”“It’s not enough.” He brushes my hair out of my face and kisses me, but a rush of air alerts us to a visitor making their way up the stairs to the tower. I pull away as a soft knock sounds on the door. Neither